Pancreatic Cancer Treatment in India

Types of Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

• Chemotherapy
• Targeted drug therapy
• Radiation therapy
• Palliative therapy
• Surgery

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to limit the growth of cancer cells. It can be taken by mouth or by the injections that run in blood and kill any cancer cell found in the body. Combinations of drugs are usually used rather than only one drug.

Targeted Drug Therapy

These drugs attack the cancer cell environment in which they grow and kill them. Target drug therapies block the nutrition of cancer cells which ultimately leads to the death of cells.

Radiation Therapy

The radiations of x-rays are used to kill the cancer cells by any external or internal source. External radiation therapy involves a machine outside the body that throws a beam of x-rays on a tumor through the skin. But in internal radiation therapy or BRACHYTHERAPY, the radioactive material is placed at the tumor site.
Chemoradiation therapy also used to increase the effect of each other.
Palliative therapy:
When the cancer becomes widespread and is unable to be treated. Palliative care is used to control the symptoms experienced by the patient. It could be a surgery like biliary bypass or gastric bypass that opens the block ducts or it could be a medicine for the pain.

Surgery

Some surgical procedures can be used:

Whipple procedure: in this, the bile duct, the head of the pancreas, the gallbladder, a portion of the stomach, and the small intestine are all removed. Some cells are spared for the functioning in this procedure.

Total pancreatectomy: in this the entire pancreas, a portion of the stomach, a portion of the small intestine, the common bile duct, the gallbladder, the spleen, and adjacent lymph nodes are removed

Distal pancreatectomy: it is a surgery to remove both the pancreas' body and tail. If cancer has gone to the spleen, then it may also need to be removed.

Cost of Pancreatic Cancer Treatment in India

In India, the cost of pancreatic cancer therapy ranges from 6350 USD to 8890 USD. In comparison to the most developed countries in the world, the cost of pancreatic cancer therapy is low. The cost of cancer therapy can be expensive but cancer treatment in India is quite affordable.

Different procedures and their costs in India:

Symptoms & Risk Factors of Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Some Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

• Jaundice (a skin and eye white turns yellow in color).
• stool in a light color.
• Dark color urine.
• back pain
• abdominal pain.
• Loss of weight for unknown reasons.
• decrease in appetite.
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Skin rash
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Abnormal blood clots
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sweating
• Constipation/ diarrhea.

Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer

Physical Examination and Medical History

An examination of the body to check for general health, including looking for signs of the disease or anything else that is not normal. A history of the patient's health, past medical illness, and treatments can give the idea of a patient under the risk of developing cancer.

CBC (complete blood count)

A method in which a blood sample is tested to determine the levels of secretions of pancreas such as bilirubin. An abnormally high or low concentration of a substance can be problematic.

Tumor Markers

When present in large quantities in the body, some chemicals are associated with particular forms of cancer. They are known as tumor markers. And they indicate the presence of disease in person.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

MRI creates a sequence of images of the inside body regions using a magnet waves, and a computer. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) is another name for this process.

CT scan (CAT scan)

A process that creates a number of detailed pictures of inside body regions from multiple angles. A computer connected to an x-ray equipment makes the procedure possible.

Biopsy

A biopsy is the removal of cells or tissues so that a medical professional can examine under a microscope for malignancy. During an ultrasound or x-ray, a core needle or fine needle may be put in into the pancreas to remove cells.

Endoscopic Ultrasound

An endoscope is inserted into the body usually through the mouth or rectum. An endoscope is a tiny, tube-shaped device containing a light and lens. High-energy sound waves are used to create echoes of organs with a probe at the end of the endoscope. A sonogram which is a picture of the body tissue is formed and gives the idea of presence of any mass if present.

Laparoscopy

A surgical procedure to look at the organs inside the abdomen to check for signs of any abnormal mass present.